Class of 2017, it’s time for a wake up call.
What you are going to do after you graduate?
You would think a fragile job market, looming student loans, and high expectations for post-graduation employment would motivate graduating seniors to be very proactive in their job search, apply for more jobs, flock to employer information sessions, submit their resumes and cover letters in greater volume for on-campus interviewing opportunities, and research and explore their career options so that they will have career options.
The reality is far too few students are genuinely proactive when it comes to seeking employment upon graduation. Far too many students wait until the last minute (or after that last minute) to address life after graduation.
So, if you want a job when you graduate; prove it! Step up to the plate and start your search early. Don’t assume it will all take care of itself . . . eventually. And, don’t be too quick to play the “I think I’ll go to graduate school” card.
In short, get in the game!
Prepare!
If you don’t know what you want to do when you graduate – that’s okay. It’s just not okay to do nothing about it.
It’s not the employers’ job to figure out why you will be a good fit for their job opportunities. It’s your job to tell employers why you will be a good fit. You have to tell employers why you want their jobs and why you are a good fit for them. You have to make your case. Showing up isn’t enough, but you do have to show up.
Show up!
College students seeking employment have some great advantages over other job seekers:
- You can be public about your job search.
- Many employers (though not all) will come to see you on campus.
- Even though you don’t currently have a job, employers aren’t going to ask you why you are unemployed.
- Alumni and others are eager to give you career advice.
- And if you start early, you aren’t under any undue pressure to accept a job just to have a job.
In fact, you can start laying the foundation for your job search early. IF you do so, you might actually have a job (or be close to one) by the time you graduate.
Apply for jobs!
Be honest, now. How many jobs have you actually considered or applied for? How many more have you not considered or applied for because you weren’t certain you wanted to do that kind of work or work for that specific company?
When you aren’t certain about what you want to do, how can you be certain about what you don’t want to do?
Be selective and smart in your job search; just don’t be so picky that you rule out most possible jobs before you’ve given them real consideration.
Don’t just punt and opt for grad school.
“I’m not sure what I want to do, so I’ll go to grad school. A graduate degree is really necessary these days to get ahead anyway.”
I hear comments like this one a lot from graduating seniors. On the surface it seems to make sense, but in reality it is fundamentally flawed.
More education is not necessarily better.
A graduate degree will not, by itself, make you more employable, make you worth more on the job market, cause employers to seek you out, or help you figure out what you are going to do when you graduate with that degree.
All of these things can happen, given the right circumstances, but they will not happen just because you go to grad school.
If you are considering graduate school immediately after your undergraduate degree, you had better be able to answers the following questions:
- What do I want to study and why? How will this field of study better prepare me for a career?
- What is the job market for graduates in this field? What can I expect to earn? What types of jobs can I expect to pursue upon completing this degree?
- What proof do I have that a graduate degree is necessary to advance in my chosen profession? Note: If you don’t have a chosen profession or at least a target profession, you probably shouldn’t be considering graduate school at this time.
- How will this graduate degree make me more marketable than I am with a bachelor’s degree alone? Be really honest with yourself in answering this one.
Some people can afford to go to graduate school for the simple joy of learning; to become more educated. Most of us have to be a lot more intentional than that. We will have student loans to repay.
If you are going to invest the time and money necessary to get a graduate degree, make sure you are making a sound investment of your time and money.
Your wake-up call
You are not likely to wake up one day and suddenly know what you want to do with your life. Life and your career are a process of discovery, so start discovering.
Don’t wait for it to get easier, because chances are it will only get more difficult.
Starting now, look in the mirror – at least once a week – and ask yourself the following questions (and demand some answers):
- What did I do this week to explore my career options?
- Who did I contact this week that might be able to give me advice or assistance in my career exploration and job search?
- What did I do this week to learn more about the fields/industries I want to enter?
- Where did I look this week to learn about job opportunities and what did I find?
- Am I looking in the right places to find the kinds of opportunities I want? Where else can I look?
- How much time did I invest this week in my career exploration and job search?
You can’t just “want to” find a job. You have to work at it and hold yourself accountable. You must take ownership of the process.
A 100% Guarantee
I cannot guarantee you will find a perfect job, but I can guarantee you a few things:
- If you don’t apply for jobs, you won’t get a job. It really is that simple.
- If you don’t explore your options, you won’t know what options and opportunities exist.
- If you don’t reach out to people who can help you, they will assume you don’t need or want their help or advice.
- If you don’t measure the progress you are making in your job search, you won’t know if you are making any progress.
Sure, looking for a job is hard – just don’t make it any harder than it already is.
The alarm clock is ringing … don’t hit the snooze button on your future.
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